Welcome to the IPelton® blog
covering trademarks, branding and social media.
Nothing contained on this blog should be taken as legal advice. If you have a questions about trademarks or other legal matters, contact an attorney.

This years Final Four men’s teams are University of Connecticut (UConn), Butler, Kentucky, and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). Which has the best brand?

KENTUCKY WILDCATS – The “Widcats” is not a very unique team name. KENTUCKY WILDCATS is registered, as is UK.

BUTLER BULLDOGS – Butler also made it to the Final Four last year. As I wrote then, the BULLDOGS name is not that unique. Also, it was not registered at the time (though there was a pending application) and it is still not registered although there is a pending application for BUTLER UNIVERSITY trademark. A Final Office Action was issued by the USPTO in November regarding the description of services. This issue is relatively easy to deal with and if it had been addressed within a few weeks of the USPTO’s action in November, the BUTLER UNIVERSITY trademark would likely be registered today. Butler has also filed in the last 15 months for BUTLER, THE BUTLER WAY, BULLDOG NATION, and their bulldog logo (below).

UCONN HUSKIES – The HUSKIES is also not a very original team name. It is relatively well protected, as the school has registered the following trademarks: CONNECTICUT HUSKIES, UCONN, CONNECTICUT, and the Huskies logo (below)

VCU RAMS – Virginia Commonwealth is this year’s biggest underdog. They also have “underdog” trademark status – no registrations for the school name, mascot, team name, etc. The “rams” team name is more unique than the others in the Final Four. Their logo is quite nice, also more distinctive than the other 3 teams. In short, VCU’s brand has the most potential, but the least protection.

VCU did not learn from last year’s “cinderella” team (Butler) – be prepared for the spotlight. As I said in my Final Four post last year, “Is your trademark and brand name ready for the big time, when you make an appearance in your industry’s version of the Final Four®?” A little preparation means: greater opportunity to capitalize on the logo and brand name, great recognition for the brand, greater value for the brand, less chance that others will copy the brand, and a better/cheaper/quicker effort in general against those who do try to infringe on the brand.

Disclaimer:No Legal Advice
The content of this website has been prepared by Erik M. Pelton & Associates, PLLC for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. The content of this website is not intended to be a substitute for legal counsel on any subject matter.. Readers should not act or refrain from acting on the basis of the information posted on this website without seeking legal or professional advice on the particular circumstances at issue from a lawyer. For more information, see Terms of Use.

No Attorney-Client Relationship
No attorney-client relationship will be formed based on your use of the Site. Information you provide through the Site will not be treated as confidential or proprietary unless EMP&A expressly agrees to treat such information in such manner. No use of the Site or provision of information via the Site will prevent EMP&A from representing someone else in connection with the matter in question or a related matter. For more information, see Terms of Use.

Attorney Advertising
This website contains attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. For more information, see Terms of Use.